Is this a good home theatre setup?

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Is this a good home theatre setup?

1 | 2 | 3

20380 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#402818 10-Nov-2010 13:24

I just want to update this thread, now that i've had the plasma in for a couple of weeks.

Overall, it's an ok TV, but i'm considering returning it and getting a the Samsung 55" LCD instead... if the store lets me. Two reasons:
- It buzzes. You can't hear it when the sound's on, but during quiet patches it's annoying and distracting. I've never seen this mentioned anywhere. L V Martin were fantastic about replacing the first one, but the second one is much the same.
- During fast motion there's a bit of blurring around the person/object that's moving. I'm not sure if it's the TV, the settings, or poor mp4 encoding though. Blu Ray seems better than low bitrate mp4 files.

I'm undecided whether to keep or return it. I'd lose 3D, which I haven't even seen working yet, but i'd gain 5 inches and lose the buzz. The Samsung 40" LCD in my office is great. The blacks aren't quite as good, but they're good enough, and otherwise it does exactly what I want.

Samsung

Shop now on Samsung (affiliate link).

Jaxson

7996 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#402843 10-Nov-2010 13:54

timmmay: i'd gain 5 inches

I just got a spam email about pills that will do that too.

Bluray at 24 frames per second is simply not fast enough for full screen panning shots. You will always get judder on that and that's where the 'image enhancement' stuff comes into it. Some TV's do a better job of estimating the intermediate frames than others, but fundamentally the bluray frame rate is just not fast enough.

timmmay

20380 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#402873 10-Nov-2010 14:43

The Plasma does a good job at panning, and seems smart enough, I guess it's the mpeg encoding.

Still the buzzing's getting to me, though it's tolerable.

What would people do? Put up with the buzzing, or get rid of it, get the bigger LCD for the same price, and lose the 3D?

NzBeagle

961 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#402882 10-Nov-2010 14:50

I've heard of the buzzing issue, perhaps in the avsforums, can't remember. But believe it was only a certain revision. Don't know if the firmware update will fix it, but know two people with this exact tv that haven't had the buzzing issue. Definitely take it back, the sooner the better for you to get a panel that you want.

In regards to 3D, will you be using it all the time? I mean it's a nice to have, but how often are you actually going to miss it? If you think you'll use it heaps then maybe try another plasma panel.

Definitely try different source video etc, as there will definitely be encoding that is worse than others.

Jaxson

7996 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#402908 10-Nov-2010 15:39

I don't think it's fair to take a crap quality encoded file you've downloaded off the net and say a big screen TV looks crap because it's all chunky and pixelated. It can be nice to know how a particular screen handles SD content like DVD's etc, or the non HD freeview channels. Apart from that I'd go for a bluray now to put it through it's paces.

The plasma screens do buzz a bit, but if you can hear it 3 meters away on a couch then you really might want to look into that, it doesn't sound right.

As more and more 3D content becomes available it will be a nice to have. If you are feeling size inadequacy problems, then you might want to look at the bigger Sony which is a nice buy price wise. Personally if I was going really big I'd stick to a smaller TV for the news etc and a projector for the movies at night.

timmmay

20380 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#402926 10-Nov-2010 16:10

I'm not worried about blurring, I think it's just the source doing it on low def stuff. It does it on blu ray as well though, i'll have to have a look at the only blu ray disk I have, Independence Day.

The buzzing... i'll look at again and see how loud it is across the room, and i'll call L V Martin and have a chat about it. So far their service has been excellent.

Masterpiece

247 posts

Master Geek

#402935 10-Nov-2010 16:18

Plasmas can buzz, nature of the modulation. Because interference works both ways the TV can be interfared with by other electrical devices and power supplies.

Try moving any switchmode supplies further away, those separate power supplies and try turning off other devices to see if it helps.

Your house is too quiet.

Far as movement blurr. One main cause it just plain poor camera work, which has nothing to do with the TV or design.
Then there is the other issue which has to do with how we see stuff; if you watch 2 people throw a ball back and forth. Watch the ball and it is in focus, but the back ground blurs, watch the people and the ball blurs.
If you view the same scene through a camera/tv, and the camera follows the ball, the ball stays in focus and doesnt blur(in theory), now watch the people on the screen, they still blurr because the camera/tv follows the ball. reverse this where the camera is still on the people and the motion of the ball will always be blurred, no matter what you focus on.
Now apply those rules upon panning motions and fast action where usually both cases are combined with both moving.
If you watch some old movies where the camera operator and director know the old school rules about composition and frame rate panning issues you will find less issues with motion artifacts. Dispite all the new tech and add on frames the source material is still 24,25 and 30hz although some is 50,60hz

Another factor is that you are viewing images sharper, with more detail and higher contrasts achievable than you have before, so because of these improvements you/we see artifacts that were hidden previously.

Could also be a poor TV, all modern panels are progressive displays, so rely of good deinterlacing and processing if adding extra frames to make up the 96hz~100hz viewable. Those with poor/cheap chips struggle.

This is the compromise of consumer level equipment, we all want the best, however the best comes at a cost. The best Panasonic 50in VX100 plasma will set you back 10k, as opposed to half and less than that for the medium spec models.
What also tends to happen with the modern panels are the inclusion of add on extras to spice up the display. There is a certain honesty about the top line gear that does not require add on extras to make them special.

As far as LCD vs Plasma, each is a competitive horse in a race. There is no clear winner as the answer for what is best is, "It depends". Although for me viewing angle and colour shift at angles is the main weakness difference which is not easy to spot with accuracy with stores setups.

Oh some chap posted on this thread, or another that Plasma has 6 times more colour.
Sorry that is totally untrue.
LCD and Plasma in a generalised way try to conform with colour Rec specifications, PAL or HD 709, most get within 10%~20% of that target. Calibration will obtain the best that display will do within the limitations of design.

Contrast ratios and perception of black has much to do with your environment as the display itself, in some cases LCD designs can control black better at lower levels than plasma. Plasmas can be noisey(visual artifacts) trying to modulate the small changes in balance.
This is where I must say, in some cases using the anti noise features does actually help the visual appearance of a display, so all cases must be treated as a case by case view and select basis.

Me:"I'm not a robot!"

ET: "Maybe; you have some freewill, but you chose your path by arrangement"

Me "That sounds like a program with no freewill?"

ET: "We will catch up when you end this cycle"

Me: "Sounds like a 'KPI'!"

ET: "Did you read the terms and conditions?"

Me: .....

timmmay

20380 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#402976 10-Nov-2010 17:28

My house is reasonably quiet, but I don't think a house can be too quiet. I'll try turning all the other power supplies off and see if it makes a difference, thanks.

Good point about the recording, extra detail, etc, too. Strangely enough though i've never seen anything like it when watching a DVD on my 2 year old 40" LCD (720p), just on the 50" plasma.

Masterpiece

247 posts

Master Geek

#403048 10-Nov-2010 19:38

I might also note, 3D displays (generalised statement) appear to have small compromises in deinterlacing and upscaling relative to the 2D models of similar spec. I suspect this is because of the 3D focus, where there is a spliting of the image and a slight defocus effect.

Although the techs who design these displays are not silly, for example some evidence has been shown that slight blur and defocus improves vision of shape as letters or text.
Basically we have natural focus and defocus, by sharping the total visual landscape we lose focal focus.

Me:"I'm not a robot!"

ET: "Maybe; you have some freewill, but you chose your path by arrangement"

Me "That sounds like a program with no freewill?"

ET: "We will catch up when you end this cycle"

Me: "Sounds like a 'KPI'!"

ET: "Did you read the terms and conditions?"

Me: .....

Shoes2468

784 posts

Ultimate Geek

#403059 10-Nov-2010 19:58

Hi is it the PS50C7000 that you have? I have the PS58C7000 (58inch) and love it, one thing I did do was turn off the motion judder canceler on regular TV. However I have had no problems with a buzzing noise from mine, There is also an updated software release for these TV's, however I am not sure what the update does?
I am still awaiting my 3D blu-ray player so havnt tried any blu-ray content yet, but from what I've seen its a pretty great set.

timmmay

20380 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#403078 10-Nov-2010 20:21

Yep the PS50C7000. I bought that model because of the judder cancellation, I didn't like how the cheaper plasmas looked. I have the latest firmware, it's connected to the net.

No sign of the blu ray player here either. A friend of mine said it took 2 months and a few emails to Samsung to get it.

NzBeagle

961 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#403179 11-Nov-2010 00:00

Can confirm that the BD players can take about 2 months.

In relation to the firmware updates, from what i've seen the latest firmware only installs from USB. Not sure myself 100% on that, but know one of my friends had to do this to get the latest firmware, released this month I believe. Check around Samsung on that.

timmmay

20380 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#403182 11-Nov-2010 00:05

Interesting, I thought it'd done it online but that might've just been the apps for the TV (which is a weird thing to say anyway).

I'll check the firmware upgrade out, thanks.

NzBeagle

961 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#403230 11-Nov-2010 08:45

Check this post in regards to firmware details on this tv http://bit.ly/cl40HQ

Although I think there is 3002.1 now available, released last friday.

Jaxson

7996 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#403267 11-Nov-2010 09:54

Hi there,

I checked my panasonic plasma last night. It buzzes in the top left hand corner of the panel, when looking at it from the front. By 1m away though I could not hear it any more. I hear the drone of the PS3 fan around the room, but not the TV at all. (I had my ears checked recently, so can actually confirm that I can hear things ok too!)

So I guess point would be, if you can hear this where you sit, you either sit way too close, (using TV as a computer monitor at 40cm or something), or yeah, you might want to check it out. Perhaps check other similar models to see if yours has a fault or it's common with that range etc. If it really does bug you then you might want to take it further.

1 | 2 | 3